Detection of collagen degradation in vivo

ABSTRACT

Compositions useful in quantitating collagen peptides to determine the rate of bone resorption are prepared by treating bone with a protease, such as collagenase, and purifying the compositions so as to enrich them with peptides capable of binding to the monoclonal antibody MAb-1H11.

This invention was made with government support under grants AR37318 and AR36794 awarded by the National Institutes of Health. The government has certain rights in the invention.

This is a continuation of Ser. No. 07/708,529, filed May 31, 1991 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,970), which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 07/614,719, filed Nov. 21, 1990, (U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,434), which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 07/444,881, filed Dec. 1, 1989 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,103), which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No 07/118,234, filed Nov. 6, 1987 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,666).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to methods for detecting and monitoring collagen degradation in vivo. More specifically, it relates to methods for quantitating certain cross-linked telopeptides produced in vivo upon degradation of collagen and to reagents useful in such methods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Three known classes of collagens have been described to date. The Class I collagens, subdivided into types I, II, III, V, and XI, are known to form fibrils. These collagens are all synthesized as procollagen molecules, made up of N-terminal and C-terminal propeptides, which are attached to the core collagen molecule. After removal of the propeptides, which occurs naturally in vivo during collagen synthesis, the remaining core of the collagen molecule consists largely of a triple-helical domain having terminal telopeptide sequences which are nontriple-helical. These telopeptide sequences have an important function as sites of intermolecular cross-linking of collagen fibrils extracellularly.

The present invention relates to methods of detecting collagen degradation based on assaying for particular cross-linked telopeptides produced in vivo upon collagen degradation. In the past, assays have been developed for monitoring degradation of collagen in vivo by measuring various biochemical markers, some of which have been degradation products of collagen. For example, bone turnover associated with Paget's disease has been monitored by measuring small peptides containing hydroxyproline, which are excreted in the urine following degradation of bone collagen. Russell et al., Metab. Bone Dis. and Rel. Res. 4 and 5, 255-262, (1981); and Singer, F. R., et al., Metabolic Bone Disease, Vol. II (eds. Avioli, L. V. and Kane, S. M.), 489-575 (1978), Academic Press, New York.

Other researchers have measured the cross-linking compound pyridinoline in urine as an index of collagen degradation in joint disease. See, for background and for example, Wu and Eyre, Biochemistry, 23:1850 (1984); Black et al., Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 48:641-644 (1989); Robins et al.; Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 45:969-973 (1986); and Seibel et al., The Journal of Rheumatology, 16:964 (1989). In contrast to the present invention, some prior researchers have hydrolyzed peptides from body fluids and then looked for the presence of individual hydroxypyridinium residues. None of these researchers has reported measuring a telopeptide containing a cross-link that is naturally produced in vivo upon collagen degradation, as in the present invention.

U.K. Patent application GB 2,205,643 reports that the degradation of type III collagen in the body is quantitatively determined by measuring the concentration of an N-terminal telopeptide from type III collagen in a body fluid. In this reference, it is reported that cross-linked telopeptide regions are not desirable. In fact, this reference reports that it is necessary to use a non-cross-linked source of collagen to obtain the telopeptide. The peptides of the present invention are all cross-linked. Collagen cross-links are discussed in greater detail below, under the heading "Collagen Cross-Linking."

There are a number of reports indicating that collagen degradation can be measured by quantitating certain procollagen peptides. The present invention involves telopeptides rather than propeptides, the two being distinguished by their location in the collagen molecule and the timing of their cleavage in vivo. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,504,587; 4,312,853; Pierard et al., Analytical Biochemistry 141:127-136 (1984); Niemela, Clin. Chem., 31/8:1301-1304 (1985); and Rohde et al., European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 9:451-459 (1979).

U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,768 relates to a method of determining changes occurring in articular cartilage involving quantifying proteoglycan monomer or antigenic fragments thereof in a synovial fluid sample. This patent does not relate to detecting cross-linked telopeptides derived from degraded collagen.

Dodge, J. Clin. Invest., 83:647-661 (1981) discloses methods for analyzing type II collagen degradation utilizing a polyclonal antiserum that specifically reacts with unwound alpha-chains and cyanogen bromide-derived peptides of human and bovine type II collagens. The peptides involved are not cross-linked telopeptides as in the present invention.

Amino acid sequences of human type III collagen, human proα1(II) collagen, and the entire preproα1(III) chain of human type III collagen and corresponding cDNA clones have been investigated and determined by several groups of researchers. See Loidl et al., Nucleic Acids Research 12:9383-9394 (1984); Sangiorgi et al., Nucleic Acids Research, 13:2207-2225 (1985); Baldwin et al., Biochem. J., 262:521-528 (1989); and Ala-Kokko et al., Biochem, J., 260:509-516 (1989). None of these references specifies the structures of particular telopeptide degradation products that could be measured to determine the amount of degraded fibrillar collagen in vivo.

In spite of the above-described background information, there remains a need for effective and simple assays for determining collagen degradation in vivo. Such assays could be used to detect and monitor disease states in humans, such as osteoarthritis (type II collagen degradation), and various inflammatory disorders, such as vasculitis syndrome (type III collagen degradation).

Assays for type I collagen degradation, described in a parent application, U.S. Ser. No. 118,234, can be utilized to detect and assess the rate of bone resorption in vivo. Detection of the rate of bone resorption may be a factor of interest in monitoring and detecting diseases such as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease in man. Primary osteoporosis, with increased susceptibility to fractures, results from a progressive net loss of skeletal bone mass. It is estimated to affect 15-20 million individuals in the U.S. Its basis is an age-dependent imbalance in bone remodeling, i.e., in the rates of synthesis and degradation of bone tissue.

About 1.2 million osteoporosis-related fractures occur in the elderly each year including about 538,000 compression fractures of the spine, about 227,000 hip fractures and a substantial number of early fractured peripheral bones. Twelve to 20% of the hip fractures are fatal because they cause severe trauma and bleeding, and half of the surviving patients require nursing home care. Total costs from osteoporosis-related injuries now amount to at least $7 billion annually (Barnes, O. M., Science, 236:914 (1987)).

Osteoporosis is most common in postmenopausal women who, on average, lose 15% of their bone mass in the 10 years after menopause. This disease also occurs in men as they get older and in young amenorrheic women athletes. Despite the major, and growing, social and economic consequences of osteoporosis, no method is available for measuring bone resorption rates in patients or normal subjects. A major difficulty in monitoring the disease is the lack of a specific assay for measuring bone resorption rates.

Methods for assessing bone mass often rely on measuring whole-body calcium by neutron activation analysis or mineral mass in a given bone by photon absorption techniques. These measurements can give only long-term impressions of whether bone mass is decreasing. Measuring calcium balances by comparing intake with output is tedious, unreliable and can only indirectly appraise whether bone mineral is being lost over the long term. Other methods currently available for assessing decreased bone mass and altered bone metabolism include quantitative scanning radiometry at selected bone locations (wrist, calcaneus, etc.) and histomorphometry of iliac crest biopsies. The former provides a crude measure of the bone mineral content at a specific site in a single bone. Histomorphometry gives a semi-quantitative assessment of the balance between newly deposited bone seams and resorbing surfaces.

A urinary assay for the whole-body output of degraded bone in 24 hours would be much more useful. Mineral studies (e.g., calcium balance) cannot do this reliably or easily. Since bone resorption involves degradation of the mineral and the organic matrix, a specific biochemical marker for newly degraded bone products in body fluids would be the ideal index. Several potential organic indices have been tested. For example, hydroxyproline, an amino acid largely restricted to collagen, and the principal structural protein in bone and all other connective tissues, is excreted in urine. Its excretion rate is known to be increased in certain conditions, notably Paget's disease, a metabolic bone disorder in which bone turnover is greatly increased, as pointed out above. For this reason, urinary hydroxyproline has been used extensively as an amino acid marker for collagen degradation. Singer, F. R., et al. (1978), cited hereinabove.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,132 discloses a process for determination of hydroxyproline in body fluids such as serum, urine, lumbar fluid and other intercellular fluids in order to monitor deviations in collagen metabolism. In particular, this inventor notes that in pathologic conditions such as Paget's disease, Marfan's syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta, neoplastic growth in collagen tissues and in various forms of dwarfism, increased collagen anabolism or catabolism as measured by hydroxyproline content in biological fluids can be determined. This inventor measures hydroxyproline by oxidizing it to a pyrrole compound with hydrogen peroxide and N-chloro-p-toluenesulphonamide followed by colorimetric determination in p-dimethyl-amino-benzaldehyde.

In the case of Paget's disease, the increased urinary hydroxyproline probably comes largely from bone degradation; hydroxyproline, however, generally cannot be used as a specific index. Much of the hydroxyproline in urine may come from new collagen synthesis (considerable amounts of the newly made protein are degraded and excreted without ever becoming incorporated into tissue fabric), and from turnover of certain blood proteins as well as other proteins that contain hydroxyproline. Furthermore, about 80% of the free hydroxyproline derived from protein degradation is metabolized in the liver and never appears in the urine. Kiviriko, K. I. Int. Rev. Connect. Tissue Res. 5:93 (1970), and Weiss, P. H. and Klein, L., J. Clin. Invest. 48: 1 (1969).

Hydroxylysine and its glycoside derivatives, both peculiar to collagenous proteins, have been considered to be more accurate than hydroxyproline as markers of collagen degradation. However, for the same reasons described above for hydroxyproline, hydroxylysine and its glycosides are probably equally nonspecific markers of bone resorption. Krane, S. M. and Simon, L. S. Develop. Biochem., 22:185 (1981).

In addition to amino acids unique to collagen, various non-collagenous proteins of bone matrix such as osteocalcin, or their breakdown products, have formed the basis of immunoassays aimed at measuring bone metabolism. Price, P. A. et al. J. Clin. Invest., 66: 878 (1980), and Gundberg, C. M. et al., Meth. Enzymol., 107:516 (1984). However, it is now clear that bone-derived non-collagenous proteins, though potentially a useful index of bone metabolic activity are unlikely, on their own, to provide quantitative measures of bone resorption. The concentration in serum of osteocalcin, for example, fluctuates quite widely both normally and in metabolic bone disease. Its concentration is elevated in states of high skeletal turnover but it is unclear whether this results from increased synthesis or degradation of bone. Krane, S. M., et al., Develop. Biochem., 22:185 (1981), Price, P. A. et al., J. Clin. Invest., 66:878 (1980); and Gundberg, C. M. et al., Meth. Enzymol., 107:516 (1984).

COLLAGEN CROSS-LINKING

The polymers of most genetic types of vertebrate collagen require the formation of aldehyde-mediated cross-links for normal function. Collagen aldehydes are derived from a few specific lysine or hydroxylysine side-chains by the action of lysyl oxidase. Various di-, tri- and tetrafunctional cross-linking amino acids are formed by the spontaneous intra- and intermolecular reactions of these aldehydes within the newly formed collagen polymers; the type of cross-linking residue varies specifically with tissue type (see Eyre, D. R. et al., Ann. Rev. Biochem., 53:717-748 (1984)).

Two basic pathways of cross-linking can be differentiated for the banded (67 nm repeat) fibrillar collagens, one based on lysine aldehydes, the other on hydroxylysine aldehydes. The lysine aldehyde pathway dominates in adult skin, cornea, sclera, and rat tail tendon and also frequently occurs in other soft connective tissues. The hydroxylysine aldehyde pathway dominates in bone, cartilage, ligament, most tendons and most internal connective tissues of the body, Eyre, D. R. et al. (1984) vida supra. The operating pathway is governed by whether lysine residues are hydroxylated in the telopeptide sites where aldehyde residues will later be formed by lysyl oxidase (Barnes, M. J. et al., Biochem. J., 139:461 (1974)).

The chemical structure(s) of the mature cross-linking amino acids on the lysine aldehyde pathway are unknown, but hydroxypyridinium residues have been identified as mature products on the hydroxylysine aldehyde route. On both pathways and in most tissues the intermediate, borohydride-reducible cross-linking residues disappear as the newly formed collagen matures, suggesting that they are relatively short-lived intermediates (Bailey, A. J. et al., FEBS Lett., 16:86 (1971)). Exceptions are bone and dentin, where the reducible residues persist in appreciable concentration throughout life, in part apparently because the rapid mineralization of the newly made collagen fibrils inhibits further spontaneous cross-linking interactions (Eyre, D. R., In: The Chemistry and Biology of Mineralized Connective Tissues, (Veis, A. ed.) pp. 51-55 (1981), Elsevier, New York, and Walters, C. et al., Calc. Tiss. Intl., 35:401-405 (1983)).

Two chemical forms of 3-hydroxypyridinium cross-link have been identified (Formula I and II). Both compounds are naturally fluorescent, with the same characteristic excitation and emission spectra (Fujimoto, D. et al. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 76:1124 (1977), and Eyre, D. R., Develop. Biochem., 22:50 1981)). These amino acids can be resolved and assayed directly in tissue hydrolysates with good sensitivity using reverse phase HPLC and fluorescence detection. Eyre, D. R. et al., Analyte. Biochem., 137:380-388 (1984). It should be noted that the present invention involves quantitating particular peptides rather than amino acids. ##STR1##

In growing animals, it has been reported that these mature cross-links may be concentrated more in an unmineralized fraction of bone collagen than in the mineralized collagen (Banes, A. J., et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 113:1975 (1983). However, other studies on young bovine or adult human bone do not support this concept, Eyre, D. R., In: The Chemistry and Biology of Mineralized Tissues (Butler, W. T. ed.) p. 105 (1985), Ebsco Media Inc., Birmingham, Ala.

The presence of collagen hydroxypyridinium cross-links in human urine was first reported by Gunja-Smith and Boucek (Gunja-Smith, Z. and Boucek, R. J., Biochem J., 197:759-762 (1981)) using lengthy isolation procedures for peptides and conventional amino acid analysis. At that time, they were aware only of the HP form of the cross-link. Robins (Robins, S. P., Biochem J., 207:617-620 (1982) has reported an enzyme-linked immunoassay to measure HP in urine, having raised polyclonal antibodies to the free amino acid conjugated to bovine serum albumin, This assay is intended to provide an index for monitoring increased joint destruction that occurs with arthritic diseases and is based, according to Robins, on the finding that pyridinoline is much more prevalent in cartilage than in bone collagen.

In more recent work involving enzyme-linked immunoassay, Robins reports that lysyl pyridinoline is unreactive toward antiserum to pyridinoline covalently linked to bovine serum albumin (Robins et al., Ann. Rheum. Diseases, 45:969-973 (1986)). Robins' urinary index for cartilage destruction is based on the discovery that hydroxylysyl pyridinoline, derived primarily from cartilage, is found in urine at concentrations proportional to the rate of joint cartilage resorption (i.e., degradation). In principle, this index could be used to measure whole body cartilage loss; however, no information on bone resorption would be available.

A need therefore exists for a method that allows the measurement of whole-body bone resorption rates in humans. The most useful such method would be one that could be applied to body fluids, especially urine. The method should be sensitive, i.e., quantifiable down to 1 picomole and rapidly measure 24-hour bone resorption rates so that the progress of various therapies (e.g., estrogen) can be assessed.

Prior U.S. Ser. Nos. 614,719, 444,881 and 118,234, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein, disclosed particular peptides, methods of assaying for collagen degradation based on detecting these peptides, and kits useful for practicing the methods. Additionally, U.S. Ser. No. 614,719 disclosed a particular monoclonal antibody MAb-1H11 that is capable of binding to a peptide having the following structure: ##STR2## is hydroxylysyl pyridinoline (HP) or lysyl pyridinoline (LP), and Gln is glutamine or pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, and other peptides that contain the same binding epitope. The present invention is based on these prior discoveries, but provides additional previously undisclosed elements thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to compositions for use in quantitating cross-linked collagen telopeptides derived from type I collagen. It has been discovered that protease treatment of collagen from bone, followed by purification of the collagen fragments to enrich the mixture in an epitope that is specifically recognized by the antibody MAb-1H11, results in a composition that can be used in an assay for type I collagen telopeptides that occur in vivo in body fluids. Thus, this aspect of the invention is directed to a composition of collagen peptides derived from protease treatment of bone, to methods employing the composition in quantitation of type I collagen telopeptides, and to kits that include such compositions in solution, lyophilized, or coated on a solid support.

These and other aspects of the present invention will be described in greater detail hereinbelow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an elution profile of peptides isolated by affinity chromatography from human urine. The structures of the peptides, as determined by mass spectrometry, are as follows: ##STR3## wherein J represents pyroglutamic acid or glutamine and the parentheses indicate that an amino acid may or may not be present.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS CROSS-LINKED PEPTIDES

A first embodiment of the present invention relates to cross-linked peptides isolatable from urine that are derived from type I collagen and are released when bone is resorbed in vivo. These peptides occur naturally in body fluids, such as urine, and may be isolated by standard purification protocols. The purified peptides may be used, for example, as antigens to produce immunological binding partners thereto. A preferred purification protocol employs the antibody MAb-1H11. The hybridoma (1H11) that produces this preferred monoclonal antibody was deposited on Nov. 20, 1990, at the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), 12301 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, Md. 20852, under accession No. HB 10611. Purification of these peptides by affinity chromatography using monoclonal antibodies produced by 1H11 results in highly purified bone-type I collagen cross-linked N-telopeptides, as shown in FIG. 1.

A particularly interesting peptide isolated in this manner corresponds to peak D in FIG. 1, which has the following structure: ##STR4## wherein J is pyroglutamic acid or glutamine, (Leu) means optional leucines (i.e., either leucine may be present, both leucines may be present, or neither leucine may be present), and the cross-linking amino acid HP or LP is represented by the connected K residues. Although the above structure covers several peptides, for convenience, the following discussion refers to a single peptide.

This structure is surprising in that it implies that it is derived from three entirely separate collagen molecules that are cross-linked together. There has been some controversy in the scientific literature as to whether cross-linking of collagen molecules occurs intramolecularly or intermolecularly. The structure of the above dimeric peptide supports the latter view.

In more practical terms, the above-described peptide may be used in an assay for the rate of bone resorption. Under these circumstances, the procedures, techniques, kits, etc., disclosed in the prior related applications, which have been incorporated by reference above, may be employed analogously with this peptide.

A preferred method of quantitating this peptide (and its equivalents) employs an immunological binding partner thereto. The peptide is utilized as an antigen, either alone or conjugated to a carrier molecule to produce antibodies, which may be polyclonal or monoclonal, or binding fragments thereof. Binding fragments may also be produced recombinantly, if desired. Monoclonal antibodies are preferred. An especially preferred monoclonal antibody is that produced by 1H11, described herein. The amount of this peptide in a body fluid may be correlated directly to the absolute rate of bone resorption, or the level of this peptide may be correlated to other type I collagen peptides that occur in greater quantities, which in turn may be correlated to the absolute rate of bone resorption. A kit containing reagents, etc., for quantitating this peptide is also contemplated in accordance with the present invention. These kits would typically include containers of appropriate reagents, such as immunological binding partners to the above-described peptide, suitable controls, competitive binding reagents, and the like. Any other standard method of peptide quantitation may also be employed for these purposes. Kits for carrying out such methods are also contemplated.

By analogy to the disclosure incorporated herein from prior U.S. Ser. No. 614,719, the pyridinoline ring contained in the above-described peptide may be open or closed. An assay based on quantitating either form or both forms of the peptide, and kits for carrying out the assay, are also contemplated.

In addition to the dimeric peptide described above, additional peptides corresponding to Formula III in U.S. Ser. No. 118,234, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,666, are also isolatable from urine. These peptides illustrate the fact that a small number of amino acids (e.g., 1-3) may be attached to the N or C termini of the peptides in body fluids. For example, the peptides of Formula III may have a Tyr residue attached to the N-terminal of the α1 (I) chain. Also, the the peptide corresponding to peak A in FIG. 1 is an equivalent of the peptides contained in peaks B and C. Analogously, the peptide falling within peak D is also expected to have equivalent peptides in which one or a small number of amino acids are combined with the N or C termini thereof. These amino acids will typically correspond to the amino acids normally found in type I collagen molecules in vivo. The language "consisting essentially of" includes such peptide equivalents.

A preferred method of isolating the peptides described above, and schematically shown in FIG. 1, will now be described:

AFFINITY-COLUMN PURIFICATION OF CROSS-LINKED N-TELOPEPTIDES FROM HUMAN BONE COLLAGEN 1. Preparation of Column

Monoclonal antibody (MAb) 1H11 was coupled to CNBr-activated Sepharose® (Pharmacia) by conventional methods (manufacturer's protocol). Mouse ascites fluid (3 ml) containing MAb 1H11 was adsorbed on a Protein G-Sepharose® affinity column diluted (1:1 v/v) in 0.15M NaCl, 0.025M Tris-HCl (TBS), pH 7.5. After washing in the same buffer, IgG was eluted by 0.1M glycine-HCl, pH 2.5, dialysed against the coupling buffer and coupled to activated Sepharose®.

2. Binding and Elution of Urinary Peptides

Urine (17-year adolescent, male) was diluted with TBS, pH 7.5 (1:1 v/v) and eluted dropwise at 25° C. through the 1H11 affinity column (5 ml bed volume). After washing with TBS, bound peptides were eluted with 50% saturated ammonium sulfate containing 1% (v/v) trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). The eluted peptides were passed through a pre-conditioned C18-Sep-Pak (Waters), bound peptides were eluted with 50% (v/v) acetonitrile and dried. Individual peptides were resolved by reverse-phase HPLC (C8, RP-300 Brownlee) using an acetonitrile:n-propanol (3:1 v/v) gradient in aqueous 0.1% (v/v) TFA. Highly purified bone type I collagen cross-linked N-telopeptides were recovered (see FIG. 1).

PROTEASE-GENERATED COMPOSITIONS

A second embodiment of the present invention relates to compositions comprising peptides derived from bone collagen by treatment thereof with a protease in vitro. One preferred protease is collagenase. Such compositions should contain peptide fragments that include the epitope recognized by the monoclonal antibody produced by 1H11. It is preferred that the compositions be enriched in such epitopes by purification (discussed below). The resulting compositions are useful in carrying out assays to quantitate collagen-derived peptides that are produced in vivo as described above. For example, a composition containing epitope-enriched collagenase-produced peptide fragments may be coated on a solid substrate (e.g., a microtiter assay plate) to be used in a heterogeneous competitive immunoassay. Since these peptides are expected to be relatively hydrophilic, coating them on a relatively hydrophobic solid surface may require conjugation of the peptides in the composition to a carrier molecule, such as bovine serum albumin, which will enhance adsorption onto a solid substrate.

The peptides of these compositions may also be useful in a homogeneous competitive immunoassay in solution by labeling the peptides with a detectable marker. Examples of suitable detectable markers include, but are not limited to: enzymes, co-enzymes, enzyme inhibitors, chromophores, fluorophores, phosphorescent materials, chemiluminescent materials, paramagnetic metals, spin labels, avidin/biotin, and radionuclides. The peptide mixtures produced by protease digestion (labeled or unlabeled) can be provided in solution (preferably having a concentration of 1 to 100 picomoles of peptide structures containing 1H11 epitope per milliliter) and included in a kit. These labeled peptides compete with naturally occurring peptide fragments in a body fluid for binding to a suitable binding partner. Such compositions may also be used as a control solution in an assay, enabling calibration in terms of units of bone collagen. The solutions may contain salts and other standard ingredients to stabilize or preserve them. Preferably, phosphate or Tris buffered saline will be used. It is also possible to provide the protease-generated compositions in solid (e.g., lyophilized) form.

Any of various standard types of immunoassays can be utilized to measure the concentration of the collagen-derived peptides contained in a body fluid. Many of these assays will be compatible with the protease-generated compositions described herein. One specific assay involves coating 1H11 antibody on a solid substrate and employing this coated antibody to bind to a target peptide in a body fluid, in the presence of a standard amount of a protease-generated peptide composition. A labeled second antibody specific to an epitope only present on the protease-generated peptides could then be used to detect bound non-target peptide(s). A greater amount of detected labeled antibody would mean less target peptide in the body fluid.

By "enriched" is meant that the protease-generated composition is partially purified to increase the amount of epitopes recognized by 1H11 contained in the composition. It is known that bone collagen consists of approximately 0.1% by weight of the peptides of FORMULAS IV-VIII, which contain the 1H11 epitopes. Theoretically, therefore, it can be calculated that the maximum possible enrichment (corresponding to completely purified 1H11 epitope) is 1000-fold. This degree of purification could be achieved by affinity chromatography using bound 1H11 antibody. Lesser degrees of enrichment, e.g., 10-fold to 50-fold, may be achieved by HPLC or other standard purification protocols. Preferably, the enrichment of 1H11 epitopes will be at least about 10-fold. Particularly preferably, the enrichment will be at least about 50-fold. The degree of enrichment may be verified by testing a sample of the preparation with an affinity column containing 1H11 monoclonal antibodies and determining the amount of material retained on the column as a percentage of the amount of material introduced into the column.

To produce the above-described compositions of this invention, it is necessary to contact protease, preferably bacterial collagenase, with bone collagen for a period of time sufficient to produce peptide fragments from the bone collagen. Preferably, bone will be finely powdered and demineralized before contacting it with collagenase. See, for example, Wu, J-J. and Eyre, D. R., "Fine Powdering Exposes the Mineral-Protected Collagen of Bone to Protease Digestion,", Calcif. Tissue Int., 42:243-247 (1988).

Other proteases that can produce peptide fragments capable of being bound by 1H11 could also be used. A given protease may be screened by allowing it to contact bone collagen and then determining if the fragments that are generated bind to 1H11.

Collagenase may be obtained from commercial sources such as Sigma, ICN Biochemicals, Boehringer Mannheim, etc. Collagenase that is commercially available generally contains a small amount of elastase and/or other enzymes as impurities. Such impurities are actually beneficial in producing the compositions described herein, since they produce additional cleavages of the collagen molecule that may enhance the yield of 1H11 epitopes contained therein. Such preparations are believed to cleave the collagen molecules at several locations around the pyridinoline cross-links in the N-terminal end of type I collagen.

In a typical procedure for producing these compositions, before contacting the powdered bone with collagenase, it should first be decalcified by standard procedures, washed, heated, cooled to around 37° C. in a water bath, and then contacted with bacterial collagenase. The amount of collagenase will typically be about 1:25-1:100 by weight based on the dry weight of decalcified bone. Digestion is allowed to proceed for at least about 24 hours up to four days or more at room temperature to 40° C. Preferably, the contacting period will be 24 hours to 48 hours at about 37° C. After digestion is complete, the digest is then purified to remove small peptides (preferably tripeptides), which have a molecular weight of less than about 1000 daltons. For example, purification could be achieved by gel filtration. The composition is next enriched in 1H11 epitopes, as described above, by further purification.

A particular procedure for preparing a collagenase-generated cross-linked peptide composition of the present invention is described as follows:

PREPARATION OF BACTERIAL COLLAGENASE GENERATED CROSS-LINKED PEPTIDES

Human cortical bone (femur) was powdered in a Spex mill (SPEX Industries) cooled by liquid N₂. Powdered bone was decalcified in 0.5M EDTA, pH 7.5, for 5-10 days at 4° C. The washed collagenous matrix was suspended in 0.1M CaCl₂, 0.05M Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, heated at 70° C. for 15 rain, cooled to 37° C. in a water bath and bacterial collagenase was added (1:50 per dry weight of decalcified bone). Digestion was continued for a minimum of 24 hours at 37° C. The digest was centrifuged and the supernatant (adjusted to 1% v/v TFA) was passed through a C18-Sep-Pak cartridge (Waters). After washing with 5% (v/v) acetonitrile to remove small collagenous peptides, the enriched cross-linked peptide fragments were eluted with 20% acetonitrile and dried. Further purification could be effected by molecular sieve chromatography (Bio-Gel P10 in 10% (v/v) acetic acid), ion-exchange HPLC (DEAE-5-PWBio-Rad) and reverse-phase HPLC.

Alternatively, the cross-linked N-telopeptides of the bone collagen generated by bacterial collagenase could be highly purified directly by adsorption on the MAb 1H11 affinity column using essentially the above procedure.

The compositions described above may be included as aqueous solutions in containers in a kit or may be included coated on a solid substrate for use in an immunoassay, and the like. Such assays may be carried out as described in the prior related eases that have been incorporated herein by reference above.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments, one of ordinary skill after reading the foregoing specification will be able to effect various changes, substitutions of equivalents, and alterations to the subject matter set forth herein. Hence, the invention can be practiced in ways other than those specifically described herein. It is therefore intended that the protection granted by Letters Patent hereon be limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof. 

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. A method of determining whether a protease can produce peptide fragments of bone collagen that bind to monoclonal antibody 1H11, comprising the steps:contacting bone collagen with a protease for a period of time sufficient to produce peptide fragments from the bone collagen, and determining whether the peptide fragments bind to monoclonal antibody 1H11.
 2. A composition comprising peptides produced by digesting bone collagen with a protease capable of generating peptides that bind to the monoclonal antibody 1H11, and then purifying the digested bone collagen to enrich the concentration of peptides that contain the epitope recognized by 1H11 by at least 10-fold.
 3. A composition according to claim 2, in an aqueous solution.
 4. A composition according to claim 3, wherein the concentration of said peptides is about 1 to about 100 picomoles per milliliter of said aqueous solution.
 5. A composition according to claim 2, coated on a solid substrate.
 6. A composition according to claim 5, wherein said solid substrate is a microtiter assay plate.
 7. A composition according to claim 5, wherein the peptides are conjugated to bovine serum albumin to facilitate coating onto said solid substrate.
 8. A composition according to claim 2, wherein said peptides are labeled with a detectable marker.
 9. A kit for determining the rate of bone resorption, comprising a container of a composition according to claim
 3. 10. A kit for determining the rate of bone resorption, comprising a coated microtiter assay plate according to claim
 5. 11. A kit for determining the rate of bone resorption, comprising a container of a composition according to claim
 8. 12. A method of determining the rate of bone resorption, comprising contacting a body fluid with an immunological binding partner and detecting the amount of bound immunological binding partner, contacting a composition according to claim 2 with said immunological binding partner to standardize the amount of bound immunological binding partner, and comparing said amounts to determine the rate of bone resorption, wherein said immunological binding partner binds to ##STR5## wherein ##STR6## is hydroxylysyl pyridinoline or lysyl pyridinoline, and Gln is glutamine or pyrridinoline carboxylic acid.
 13. A method of determining the rate of bone resorption comprising contacting a body fluid with an immunological binding partner in the presence of a composition according to claim 8 and detecting the amount of said immunological binding partner bound to said composition to determine the rate of bone resorption, wherein said immunological binding partner binds to ##STR7## wherein ##STR8## is hydroxylysyl pyridinoline or lysyl pyridinoline, and Gln is glutamine or pyrridinoline carboxylic acid.
 14. A method for the measurement of cross-linked N-telopeptides of type I collagen in a body fluid, comprising the steps:contacting a first reagent and a second reagent with a plurality of control fluid samples and at least one test fluid sample for an incubation time period, wherein one of the first and second reagents is an immunological binding partner, and the other of the first and second reagents is a composition according to claim 2, wherein one of the first and second reagents is immobilized on a solid substrate, and the other of the first and second reagents is labeled with a marker, wherein each of the control fluid samples contains a composition according to claim 2, wherein the test fluid sample is a body fluid, and wherein the incubation time period is sufficient for the labeled reagent to competitively bind to the immobilized reagent in each fluid sample, wherein said immunological binding partner binds to ##STR9## wherein ##STR10## is hydroxylysyl pyridinoline or lysyl pyridinoline, and Gln is glutamine or pyrridinoline carboxylic acid, detecting the amount of the marker on the immobilized reagent in each sample, and comparing the detected amount of the marker on the immobilized reagent in the control and test samples to provide a measurement of cross-linked N-telopeptides of type I collagen in the test sample of body fluid. 